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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Prevalence of overweight and underweight in public and private schools in the Seychelles

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Pages 274-278 | Received 24 Feb 2009, Accepted 06 Sep 2009, Published online: 26 Feb 2010
 

Abstract

Objective. We compared the prevalence of body weight categories between public and private schools in the Seychelles, a rapidly developing small island state in the African region. Methods. In 2004–2006, weight and height were measured and self-reported information on physical activity collected in children of three selected grades in all schools in the country. Overweight, obesity and thinness were defined according to standard criteria. Results. Based on 8 462 students (377 in private schools), the prevalence of overweight (including obesity) was markedly higher in private than public schools (boys: 37% [95% CI: 31–44] vs. 15% [14–16]; girls: 33% [26–41] vs. 20% [19–22]). The prevalence of thinness grade 1 was lower in private than public schools (boys: 9% [5–13] vs. 20% [19–21]; girls: 13% [8–18] vs. 19% [18–20]). Students in private schools reported more physical activity at leisure time while students in public schools reported larger weekly walking time. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that school type may be a useful indicator for assessing the association between socio-economic status and overweight in children, and that overweight affects wealthy children more often than others in developing countries.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the program managers and all the nurses of the school health program for collecting the data. We also thank the Ministry of Health and Social Development and the Ministry of Education for their support of the program.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

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